Two downtown Green Bay projects– the Rail Yard and the Shipyard – may gain some traction next month.

“Both these projects are coming to you in August,” Mayor Jim Schmitt said during the July 18 City Council meeting.

That is welcome news because the two projects can bookend the downtown district, with the Shipyard to the south and the Rail Yard to the north.

However, questions remain.

Shipyard

We’ve liked the Shipyard Green Bay project, especially since the developers, Big Top Baseball, received commitments from the owners of Anduzzi’s to build a $2 million restaurant northwest of the stadium and Mark Skogen to build a $2.5 million indoor concert venue on site, which is at the south end of Broadway, just below the Mason Street bridge.

An artist's rendering of the proposed Shipyard development on the Fox River north of East Mason Street and east of South Broadway.(Photo: Courtesy of Big Top Baseball)

The stadium would be a home for Green Bay Bullfrogs baseball and used schools and for outdoor concerts. The real potential lies in breathing new life into a neighborhood, which is possible if residential development follows.

The big question that really remains is about funding the $9 million project and the city’s share of that.

Rail Yard

The Rail Yard is the former Larsen Green, and others remember it as Larsen Canning.

Any movement on the development of 16 acres north of Kellogg Street and east of Broadway would be welcome. The city has worked on the project with DDL Holdings, a partnership between Titletown Brewing and Base Companies. Even though there is no active, binding agreement, the city said the two sides have worked in good faith to move forward.

However, some may be ready to move on.

“Why are we exclusively giving it to people who haven’t lived up to one thing they said they were going for the last one year and eight months?” Alderman Guy Zima said at the July council meeting. He wants to open up development to other companies.

The city agreed to sell the 16 acres to DDL in December 2015, but a development agreement expired last year. DDL Holdings has successfully developed the area south of Kellogg Street and east Broadway. If the city has a good working relationship with that group, it seems logical to continue to pursue development with them, though not with an indefinite time table.

We look forward to seeing what goes before the council in the next month. DDL envisions mixed-use development – retail, commercial and residential.

Speak out

In the meantime, we’d like to hear from our readers.

What would you like to see in the 16-acre site north of Kellogg Street? DDL Holdings plans mixed-use development, meaning retail and residential, as well as commercial. Is that your vision? Or do you have something more grand in mind?

Send you ideas to forum@greenbaypressgazette.com and put “Rail Yard” in the subject line. Include a name and phone number, for verification purposes.